Welcome to Naval Air Station Patuxent River

Installation Information

Nestled in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, where the waters of the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay meet, sits Naval Air Station Patuxent River, a complex where the future of naval aviation begins.

Approximately 90 miles from the Fleet in Norfolk, Virginia, and 65 miles south of the nation’s capitol, the 14,500-acre complex includes the main station in Lexington Park, Webster Outlying Field in St. Inigoes, Naval Recreation Center Solomons in Calvert County and Bloodsworth Island Range in the Chesapeake Bay.

Since its commissioning April 1, 1943, NAS Pax River has evolved into the Center of Excellence for Naval Aviation.

The consolidation, integration and collocation of the Base Realignment and Closures in the mid-1990s brought more than 20,000 military and civilian employees to the station when it was selected to host the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) headquarters, and more than 50 tenant activities.

With just 800 employees assigned to the host air station’s staff, the civilian and military “Pax Pros” work hard to ensure the continued security and safety of its tenants, while providing first-class services to all employees.

NAVAIR and NAWCAD, the two largest tenants, provide the full spectrum of acquisition management, research and development capabilities, air and ground test and evaluation, aircraft logistics, and maintenance management. This distinctive synergy supports land-based and maritime aircraft and engineering, test, evaluation, integration, and life cycle support for ship/shore electronics.

These combined capabilities are unique within the Department of Defense and ensure Pax River’s status as an aviation leader working effectively to continue progress into the 21st century.

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